Building panels

ABSTRACT

A rectangular concrete or like building panel (10) of substantially uniform thickness has connectors (11) inset into its top and bottom corners and securely fixed to metal members (14) embedded within the panel (10). Each connector (11) is a short tube, its ends flush with opposite faces of the panel (10) and with two exposed perpendicular sides substantially level with a side edge and a top or bottom edge of the panel (10), and formed with bolt holes (12) to enable generally similar panels (10) to be secured together by bolts (23) through adjacent connectors (11) and to be bolted to floor (30) and roof structures (41). Intermediate connectors (11a) may be inset and secured into the top and bottom of the panel (10), each with an exposed side flush with the panel&#39;s top or bottom edge and formed with a bolt hole (12).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to building panels.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

Many different types of pre-fabricated building panels have beenproposed for interconnection adjacently in the erection of the walls ofhouses or other buildings. The present invention has been devised withthe general object of providing such building panels which areparticularly sturdy and durable and incorporate connector means wherebythe panels may be quickly and easily interconnected adjacently or atright angles, and also locked to a floor and to a roof or othersuperstructure.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention residesbroadly in a building panel of rectangular shape and of substantiallyuniform thickness, including top and bottom corner connectors inset andsecured into the four corners of the panel, each having means forsecuring it to a corresponding connector of an adjacent similar panel,and also means for connection to a floor beneath, or a superstructureabove, the panel. Preferably each connector is a square or rectangularsection tubular member, its open ends flush with opposite faces of thepanel, the connector being rigidly anchored to reinforcing rods or othermetal members within the panel, its means for connection being boltholes in the two sides of the connector exposed at the corner of thepanel. Preferably similar connectors are similarly anchored atintermediate positions in the top and bottom of the panel, each with oneexposed face, with bolt hole, flush with the top or the bottom of thepanel. Other features of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that a preferred embodiment of the invention may be readilyunderstood and carried into practical effect, reference is now made tothe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partly broken-away perspective view of a number of buildingpanels according to the invention erected upon a foundation;

FIG. 2 is a prespective view of one of the connectors of a buildingpanel;

FIG. 3 is a sectioned elevational view of the parts of adjacent panelsin the circle 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the adjacent panels taken along line 4--4in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectioned elevational view of the part of a building panelin the circle 5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the panel taken along line 6--6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partly sectioned plan view of the parts of interconnectedbuilding panels in the circle 7 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is a sectioned elevational view of the parts of a building paneland foundation in the circle 8 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic partly sectioned elevational view to reducedscale showing the interconnection of building panels above and below thefloor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The building panels 10 are all of cast reinforced concrete, ofrectangular shape, of uniform thickness and of uniform hieght, but maybe made to different widths and will normally include panels formed withdoorways, windows and other openings (not shown) as required for theconstruction of a house or other building. Vertical and horizontalconduits for electric, plumbing and other services may also be cast intothe panels.

Each building panel has at each corner a corner connector 11 and, ineach panel 10, intermediate connectors 11a are fixed centrally in itstop and bottom.

Each of the connectors 11 and 11a is, as shown in FIG. 2, a length ofsquare-section metal tube, its length being equal to its width and depthand to the thickness of the panel 10, a plain bolt hole 12 being formedcentrally in each of its four sides. The open ends of each connector areflush with the parallel faces of the panel. The two exposed sides ofeach corner connector 11 are flush with an end, and with the top edge orthe bottom edge, of the panel in which it is installed, and the singleexposed side of each of the top and bottom intermediate connectors 11ais flush with the top or the bottom edge respectively of the panel.

The connectors 11 and 11a are securely anchored in the panels 10 asshown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6. Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, eachcorner connector 11 is anchored by a horizontal bolt 14 and by athreaded rod 15 passing through the bolt holes 12 of, respectively, theinner vertical and the inner horizontal sides of the connector, andbeing engaged by nuts 16. Otherwise, the bolt 14 and the threaded rod 15are embedded in the concrete of the panel 10. The bolt 14 is weldedbetween a pair of spacer rods 17 which in turn are welded between a pairof reinforcing rods 18 of the panel, these being secured to a pair ofvertical reinforcing rods 19. The threaded rod 15 is welded between apair of vertical reinforcing rods 20 of the panel. A vertical conduit 21is cast in the panel between the horizontal reinforcing rods 18.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the anchorage of an intermediate connector 11acentrally within the top of a panel 10. Opposite vertical sides of theconnector are entered by two bolts 14, the bottom of the connector isentered by a threaded rod 15, and the bolts and rod are engaged by nuts16, substantially as before described. The opposed bolts 14 and thethreaded rod 15 are rigidly interconnected by a bridge of reinforcingrod sections 22 welded together and to the bolts and the threaded rod.

The panels 10 are erected upon a floor, the panels being disposedadjacently or at right angles, as required, and being secured rigidlytogether, and to the floor. As shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4,adjacent panels 10 are fixed rigidly together by bolts 23 passed throughregistering bolt holes 12 of aligned upper corner connectors 11, nuts 24being engaged and tightened on the bolts. The bottom corner connectors11 of the two adjacent panels are likewise bolted together.

FIG. 7 shows adjacent panels 10 bolted together as described and furtherpanels 10a fixed to extend perpendicularly in opposite directions fromthe two adjacent panels 10. In such a perpendicular connection when openends of corner connectors 11 of a panel 10 are brought against sides ofcorner connectors 11 of a panel 11a, a centrally apertured tension plate25 is inserted into each connector 11 of a panel 10 so as to bearagainst the nuts 16 and head of the bolt 23 or engaging nut 24. A bolt26 is then passed through the central aperture of the tension plate anda bolt hole 12 of the connector 11 of the panel 11a, and is engaged by anut 27. Exposed open ends of connectors 11 may be closed by end stops 28which may be moulded of a suitable plastic material and are heldfrictionally in place.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 8, the floor on which the panels 10 and 10aare erected is a concrete floor slab 29 laid upon a reinforced concretefoundation 30 in which are embedded foundation connectors 11b anchoredby bolts and/or threaded rods 31 and nuts 32 and closed at their ends byend stops 28 to prevent entry of concrete during casting. Above each ofthese foundation connectors 11b there is secured, by a bolt 33 and nut34, a floor connector 11c anchored in the floor slab 29 by a bolt 35through its inner side, a bolt 36 through its outer side being availablefor holding the formwork for the floor slab. The ends of this connector11c are also closed by end plugs 28 to exclude concrete. A bolt 37passed up through the bolt hole in the top of the floor connector 11c isengaged by a nut 38 and extends for some distance above this nut. Thebottoms of the panels 10 are set upon resilient sealing strips 39. Thebolt 37 passes through the bottom of a bottom corner connector 11 of thepanel 10 and is engaged by a further nut 40. The ends of the panelconnector 11 may be closed by end plugs 28. To carry the roof structureof a building, top plates 41 may be bolted to the top connectors of theassembly of panels.

As shown in FIG. 9, the panels 10 may be installed below and above afloor 42, of a multi-storey building, top connectors 11 of the lowerpanels being connected, through the floor 42, to corresponding bottomconnectors of the upper panels, by bolts 43 through the floor.

Building panels according to the invention will be found to be veryeffective in achieving the objects for which they have been devised. Thefabrication of the panels may be carried out simply and economically ina factory or on site, and the connectors provide convenient meanswhereby the completed panels may be lifted and conveyed, for example bymobile cranes. The interconnection of the panels, and their anchorage toa floor and to a roofing or other super-structure may be effectedquickly and easily without any high degree of skill being required.

What is claimed is:
 1. A building panel of rectangular shape andsubstantially uniform thickness and having connectors for attachment toconnectors of an adjacent similar panel, or to the floor below orsuperstructure above, wherein:the connectors comprise corner connectorsinset and secured into the four corners of the panel; and each cornerconnector is a tubular member with its ends at opposite faces of thepanel and with a bolt hole with its axis substantially perpendicular toa side edge of the panel, and a further bolt hole with its axissubstantially perpendicular to the bottom edge or top edge of the panel,and wherein said attachment is accomplished by means of fastenersextending through said bolt holes to an adjacent panel, or to the flooror superstructure as aforesaid.
 2. A building panel according to claim 1wherein:each corner connector is of rectangular cross-section with oneside exposed at and flush with a side of the panel and a second sideexposed at and flush with the top or the bottom of the panel.
 3. Abuilding panel according to claim 2 wherein:intermediate connectors areinset and secured in the top and the bottom of the panel, eachintermediate connector being a rectangular tubular member with its endsat opposite faces of the panel, one face, formed with a bolt hole, beingexposed at and flush with the top or the bottom of the panel.
 4. Abuilding panel according to claim 3 wherein:the panel is of reinforcedconcrete; and each of the connectors of the panel is rigidly secured toreinforcing rods within the panel.
 5. A building panel according toclaim 4 wherein:each of the connectors of the panel is a square-sectiontubular member with a bolt hole in each of its four sides; and threadedmembers rigidly fixed to the reinforcing rods extend through the boltholes of at least two of the sides of the connector and are engaged bynuts.